Like Comets and Card Games
by xXxEpicallyxXxEpicxXx
Summary: Halley Edmonds moves from California to Maine with her father, and in the small town of the late fifties, she meets a few odd characters that spark her interest... In more ways than one... Rated M to be safe and whatnot...
1. Dogs and Cars

**AN:/ My first Stand By Me fic... I like it, and I hope you do too. Props to anyone that understands where I got the OC's name...**

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><p>Halley Edmonds smiled down at the two dogs by her side. They were purebred Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers. They were her only friends in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. Her father decided to move them there after her grandmother died. Halley could tell her grandmother was the only thing keeping her family in California. Why they chose such a small town, Halley would never know.<p>

Her dog Scott started barking at a stray cat, and Halley bent down and grabbed his collar. As she went to lead her two dogs across the street, she didn't look. A flat-black car slammed on the brakes directly in front of her. Terrifying her.

"Oh shit man! What did we hit?" a voice asked to its companions. Halley stood up and stared at the car full of guys about her age. Irresponsible jerks. She did the only thing she thought was appropriate in that situation.

"What the hell is your problem asshole? You almost hit me and my dogs! Watch where you're goin, huh?" Halley kicked the bumper and the blonde bad-boy driver jumped out of the car and shoved her out of the way.

"_What's our _problem? What's yours? Kicking my car like that. Who the hell are you anyway?" He glared at her and her other dog Nova started growling. Halley could tell these thugs were bad news, but what did she care?

"Oh, you don't want me kicking your precious piece of shit? What are you gonna do when I do it again?" Halley asked kicking the front bumper again. If it weren't for Scott and Nova, the guy would have probably hit her or something. Instead, he pushed her to the ground, got back in his car and sped off.

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><p>Halley wandered around the town of Castle Rock with her trusty dogs at her side. Aside from the incident with the jerks and the car, Halley liked the small town. She wandered around until she saw a small diner. Convenient. A little Mom and Pop place. Probably the only diner in town.<p>

Nova and Scott sat by the door while Halley ran inside to get something for them to drink. She got a soda for herself and the people that owned the place were nice enough to give her two bowls of water free of charge. As she was about to leave, someone hollered out to her.

"Hey! Crazy girl! Over here!" Halley looked and saw the guys from earlier. The one with curly dark brown hair got up and held the door open for her. She noticed what looked like a scar above his eye. She smiled and set the bowls down for the dogs. She stood back up and he was still staring at her.

"Thanks…" She knew he was probably just trying to be nice so she would sleep with him. Small town gangsters were all the same. It was kind of pathetic. She walked back inside and grabbed her Pepsi-Cola so she could join her dogs. Before she did that though, she grabbed a pen and paper. Halley scribbled her name and phone number on it before handing it to him. "For your blonde friend that pushed me earlier. Twice."

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><p>(The next day)<p>

Halley Edmonds was playing fetch in her front yard with Nova and Scott until she heard a horn blaring. She looked up to see the gang from yesterday. All the guys piled out of the car and approached her. Nova growled again, but Halley threw the stick.

"What can I help you boys with?" Halley asked picking up the stick Nova had just dropped at her feet. The leader pulled out the piece of paper she had written her name and number on.

"Is it said Hailey or Holly?" he asked with a smile. Halley smirked as Nova came and dropped her stick on the guy's feet. He looked down at it in disgust.

"Pick it up and throw it, and I'll tell you how to say my name." she smirked again. The guy instantly picked the stick up and Nova bounced around. The moment Scott barked, he chucked the stick and Nova bolted after it. "Halley. Like, valley but with an 'H'."

"Like the comet!" One of the guys said in excitement. Halley smiled at him and nodded.

"I'm Ace, this is Eyeball and Billy and Charlie." the blonde pointed to himself and his friends. Scott kept butting his head on Eyeball's leg.

"Aw. He likes you. Also, if you're here to get me to apologize for kicking your car, then no. You deserved it." Ace smiled at her statement.

"We're here to see if you want to hang out with us. You've got spunk. I like that. What do you say; do you wanna go riding with us?" Ace motioned toward his car. Halley looked down at her dogs staring up at her.

"Just one minute. Nova, Scott, let's go inside guys." Halley and her dogs went in her house while Ace and Eyeball watched her go. Inside, she was running throughout the house, getting food and water set up for her companions. "I don't know when I'll be back guys. Nova, Scott, protect."

"Alright, so you're coming with us?" When Halley nodded and closed the front door, Ace smirked. "Very nice."

"Shotgun! Called it!" Charlie ran to the car and jumped in the front seat. Ace and Eyeball glared at him. "…What?"

"The little lady gets front seat. Get your ass in the back." Ace snapped his fingers and Charlie clamored into the back with Eyeball and Billy. Halley blushed slightly and laughed as Ace held her door open for her.

"So, Ace, you got a real name, or were your parents _'inspired'_ to actually name you 'Ace?' Like how my parents named me after that comet." Halley asked, pulling her hair into a bun.

Ace was chewing on a toothpick, and his eyes were glued to the road. Without looking at her, he replied: "John." Halley smiled at him and turned sideway to look in the backseat.

"So boys, where we headed? I'm in for anything that doesn't successfully kill me." she giggled when Charlie stared at her in shock. "What?"

"Hey Ace, how about we show her the, uh, the rest of the gang?" Eyeball leaned forward and asked. Ace nodded approval and spun the wheel really fast, causing the three in the backseat to shift and Halley to clutch his shoulder.

"What the hell was that?" Halley popped his arm when they were heading down a driveway toward a large white house. She gaped at the size of it. The only house she had seen that big was her old house in California.

"Home sweet home." Ace honked his horn and a few more guys hanging out on the porch waved at them. Halley could tell they had been waiting for a while. When he put the car in park, the others shouted out a greeting. "Guys, this is Halley. Now, I want you on your best behavior. She's new."

"Hi." She waved sheepishly. She could tell Ace didn't want to introduce everyone, and she was fine with that. Fewer names to remember meant fewer names to forget. She followed him up to the porch and almost, _almost,_ clung to the back of his shirt and followed him inside.

"So Halley, what did you move to this town for? It couldn't have been for the opportunities." Eyeball asked, propping his feet up on the railing.

"My dad used to visit here when he was a kid. We inherited the place we're living in from my great-uncle or something like that." She avoided mentioning moving to escape memories of her dead grandmother.

"Well that's pretty cool. Where are you from?" Another one of the guys asked. Halley was starting to like them, but she wondered what Ace was doing inside.

"The beaches of California." she bobbed her head and tried not to giggle. Halley cried out and fell to the ground when a black mass jumped on her and attacked her face.

"Harley you mangy mongrel, get off her. Go chase some stray cats or something!" Ace pulled the massive black dog away with ease and pointed him in a different direction. "You alright, Hal?"

"That. Was. Terrifying." She was staring at him in shock. When Scott or Nova would jump on her and lick her face like that, she was never able to overpower them. Ace helped her up and brushed her off. The others smirked at one another behind them.

"I wasn't expecting him to do that. He never bothers anyone when I let him out." Harley traipsed up onto the porch again and Halley tensed up. It was the first time she had ever been nervous around a dog. Harley sniffed her feet and Halley's toes curled.

"It's probably just Nova and Scott. You smell my dogs on me, huh?" She was still tense and she crossed her arms around her chest. "Go away now. Please."

"Harley, go lay down." Eyeball popped the dog very lightly with a rolled up magazine. The dog barked happily and sat at Eyeball's feet. "Stupid mutt."


	2. Racing and hiding

**A/N: So here's chapter 2. I didn't realize how short this story was until I split it up into chapters... It was originally written as a _very_ long one-shot... So yeah...**

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><p>(One and a half weeks later)<br>"Welcome to the Blue Point Diner, just find anywhere available, and a waitress will be right with you." Halley and her father entered the only diner in Castle Rock and sat in a booth. It was their first time eating out in months. She rolled her eyes behind her menu and looked out the window. Ace and Eyeball were walking by. Eyeball noticed her and the two quickly entered the diner to sit with her.

"Hey, Hal. How you doin today?" Her father looked up at the boys and glared at them. The boys ignored his looks.

"Halley, how do you know these two, huh?" Mr. Edmonds asked. Halley flinched at the harshness in his voice.

"They're my friends. Aren't I supposed to make friends here? You told me to." There was a smile on her face. "Besides, Nova and Scott like them."

"Well, that's great." Mr. Edmonds smiled. If Halley's dogs trusted the duo, they couldn't be all bad. "Hey, I have an idea. This place is really slow today, how about I go sit on the other side of the restaurant so you can talk privately."

"Thank you." Halley smiled up at her father. He could be a total jerk sometimes, but he had his moments. As soon as her father was gone, Halley turned to Ace and Eyeball. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We figured you would want to hang out." Eyeball smiled at her.

"Everyone else was too busy, right?" Halley deadpanned. Eyeball looked away and Ace nodded. Halley laughed and shook her head, "Figures. Find the girl when all else fails, huh?"

"Hey, what do you say we go do something fun?" Eyeball asked. Halley looked over at her father then back to her friends.

"What kind of fun are we talkin about?" She asked eyeing them. Both guys looked down and she smiled. "Alright, let's get out of here."

"Great, come on, let's go." The three rushed out of the diner and Halley waved to her father.

"So boys, where we heading?" She asked getting into the front seat of Ace's car. Eyeball leaned forward and smirked. "…What?"

"You up for a race?" Eyeball asked. Halley paled and shook her head as the trio headed for the highway.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! A race? Are you crazy? Isn't that suicidal?" Halley shook Ace's arm as he rested over the back of her seat.

"Relax, huh? I know what I'm doing. I do it all the time. Look, there's Vince and the others now." The blue car that was at Ace's house a few days ago was sitting by the side of the road with the rest of his gang.

"You said everyone else was busy!" Halley glared at Ace. He shrugged his shoulders as Charlie got in the back with Eyeball. Halley hit him again "You pig! You lied to me!"

"Aw come on Halley, relax. Ace is a safe driver." Eyeball laughed. She glared again and would have gotten out if Ace hadn't hit the gas. Halley clutched his shoulder and stared straight ahead. Everything was whizzing passed her and she had never felt a greater rush.

Ace glanced over at her and saw the excited look in her eyes. He was actually really glad he had decided to bring her along. He punched the gas and saw a truck hauling logs. Ace felt Halley dig her nails into his exposed skin. Everyone was trying to tell him to fall back, but he ignored him and waited until the truck made a sharp turn to get out of his way. Halley started cheering and as soon as Ace won, she hugged him and giggled and bounced excitedly.

"Oh Ace man! That was so wild! Can we go another round?" her arms were still wrapped around him, and when she realized it, Halley pulled away and straightened her outfit.

"No way Ace!" Vince shouted when Ace shot him a look. Halley looked between the two and laughed.

"So Hal, still mad at us for lying to you?" Eyeball leaned forward and smirked. Halley blushed and smiled. "I take that as a 'no.'"

"Shut up. Now what do we do?" She turned from Eyeball to Ace who was draining his beer.

"We head back to town, I suppose." He looked at the empty beer bottle before chucking it to the weeds. He looked over at Vice and waited for the other boy to fall in behind him.

The ride back to Castle Rock was calm and comfortable with Halley dozing twice. Every time she did, Ace would speed up and then slam on the brakes. She popped him for it, but she thought it was funny.

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><p>Back in Castle Rock, Maine, Ace, Eyeball and Halley walked out of the town's billiards hall right as Eyeball's younger brother and his best friend passed. Ace snatched the scrawny boy's hat and the boy got upset.<p>

"Come on man! My brother gave me that! Give it back." Ace gently pushed him an arms length away.

"And now you're giving it to me." Ace smirked.

"You're a real asshole, you know that." Eyeball's younger brother glared at Ace. Halley bit her lip and looked down, trying to not glare at Ace as well.

"Man, come on. Let's just go." Halley said as Ace flicked his cigarette and handed the cap to Eyeball

"You brother's not very polite, Eyeball." Ace advanced toward the younger boy.

"Now Christopher…" Eyeball put the kid's cap on. "I know you didn't mean to insult my friend.

"Ace, let's just go. Forget about the kid, man." Halley said and almost stamped her foot. Demanding anything from Ace Merrill never worked.

"I know he didn't mean to insult me. That's why I'm giving him the opportunity of taking it back." Ace was only a few inches away from the younger boy.

"Your girlfriend looks like a whore." Halley gasped and Ace grabbed the boy and threw him to the ground. The kid cursed in pain.

"Take it back kid." Halley bit her lip again and crossed her arms around her middle.

"Stop it. You're hurting him." Christopher's friend said to Ace. Ace ignored him and grabbed his still lit cigarette.

"You bastard. Let go man." Chris struggled as Ace held the cigarette close to his face.

"Take it back kid." At least Halley knew he could defend her honor. But was it her honor, or his pride? Was he forcing the kid to apologize for what he said about Halley, or for calling Ace an asshole?

"Okay, okay, I take it back! I take it back!" Scaring the poor kid wasn't right, but Halley wasn't going to protest his methods. Ace flicked the cigarette away again and picked the kid up off the ground.

"There. Now I feel a whole lot better about this. How 'bout you?" The boys looked down in fear. "Good." Ace patted the scrawny kid on the side of the neck a couple times before walking away.

"See you later, girls." Eyeball waved and walked behind Ace. Halley shot the boys and 'I'm sorry about him.' look before following as well.

As soon as they were around the corner, Halley popped Eyeball in the cheek and snatched the hat right before he threw it. Ace stared at them with annoyance as Halley glared at Eyeball. "What was that for, Hal?"

"You're that kid's older brother. I don't know about this town, but where I'm from older brothers look out for, and teach little brothers everything they know - like respecting girls. I blame you for him saying I look like a whore." Halley paused and neither guy said anything. She looked down at her dress. "Do I really look like a whore?"

"No, Halley, you don't." Ace draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. She smiled and Eyeball made kissy noises next to her. Halley punched his arm and Ace laughed. She liked his laugh.

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><p>(Later)"Just hold still, will ya?" Eyeball asked Billy as he gave him one of those Razor-blade tattoos. Vince was giving the same tattoo to another gang member. Halley closed her eyes behind her sunglasses. "So what's with you and this Connie Palermo chick?"<p>

"I've been seeing her for over a month now and all she'll let me do is feel her tits." Billy complained. Halley laughed and crossed her legs so that her bare feet were between Ace's legs. She leaned back on her elbows and enjoyed the summer sun.

"She's a Catholic, man. They're all like that. You wanna get laid; you gotta get yourself a Protestant." Ace paused and glanced at Halley as he polished a car part. "Jew's good."

Halley glared at him behind her sunglasses. It was just yesterday that she told him her father was Jewish. He smiled at her. She smirked and pressed a foot into the middle of his jeans. He looked away and scooted backwards. There was an update on that Ray Brower kid that died and Halley thought about what his family thought as the guys talked about it.

"Would you two just shut the fuck up?" Halley asked. Her voice slurred slightly, and she sounded exhausted. Everyone looked at her and Ace smirked.

"If either one of you assholes had $2,000, I'd kill you both." they dropped the subject, because they could tell Ace was serious.

'Hey, we're back here with the bossman Bob Cormier. From the racks and stacks, it's the best on wax. Here's the Chordettes, with "Lollipop."' The radio announced right before the song played.

"You know something, Billy?" Halley turned to look at the shirtless guy. "You should ditch that Connie chick and run away with me. I hear Florida's nice this time of year. What about you Eyeball?"

"Seriously?" Billy stared at her with wide eyes. Halley jumped when Ace threw his rag at the back of her head. Halley took off her glasses and grinned at him. He was glaring, and her eyes were half-closed due to some unknown reason.

"Aw come on Ace." Her voice was still slurry and she giggled. "Why on Earth would I choose guys like Billy or Eyeball over a guy like you? Besides, everyone knows blondes do it better."

"Oh that's what's wrong with you!" Charlie grinned as he saw Halley take another hit off Ace's beer. "You're getting all tipsy."

"It takes a lot more than a few hits off one beer to get me buzzed." Halley glared as she stood up and brushed herself off. She bent down and looked under the blue Volkswagen where Nova, Scott and Harley were sleeping. After clicking her tongue a few times, all three dogs crawled out from under the car and barked happily. Halley blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. "I'm exhausted."

"What are you exhausted for?" Vince asked. Halley winked at him and threw a ball that Nova had been playing with.

"I don't see why you're tired. You haven't done anything to get that way. I'm the one that should be tired. I did all the work." Ace knocked the ashes off his cigarette and looked up at her.

"If you guys need me. I'll be locked in Ace's room, sleeping. Come on Scott." Halley glared at Ace before heading back to the large white farmhouse.

"Hey wait a minute." Ace ran after her. "You can't lock yourself in my room. Why do you have to take a nap anyway, are you five?"

"Scott. Protect." Halley said as Ace wrapped his hand around her upper-arm. Scott growled menacingly and Ace glared at the dog. Halley leaned up and whispered to him, "Let go of me John. I just wanna go inside and take a nap."

"Yeah, whatever." He stole a quick kiss before letting her go. Halley came to the conclusion that, whenever she really needed to get a point across, she could use his real name. It always worked.


	3. Lovers and Quarrels

**A/N: This is the last chapter before the story is over... No reviews is upsetting, but if I don't upload the story, it'll sit on my computer and rot... Sorry about how short this entry is. It just sets up for the finale...**

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><p>(The next day)<br>Halley was forced to spend the day with Billy's girlfriend Connie Palermo. It wasn't something she had wanted to do, but Billy really wanted to get laid. And it was up to Halley to help a friend in need.

"So like, you're with Billy's friend Ace, right?" Halley nodded as they walked to the diner for lunch. "Ace is such a looker. If I wasn't with Billy, I would keep my options open for Ace. Sincerely."

"Billy really likes you. I think he might even love you." Halley stopped at the door when she saw a familiar flat-black car slowing down.

"Hey Halley. We're going to the Royal River and the back Harlow road to pull a few Steelheads out of the river. We'll try to be back by sunset." Ace winked at her. She blushed slightly and went over to his side of the car. She glanced up and saw Connie and Billy talking.

"Tell Billy he owes me for this. And you do too." Halley whispered into his ear. She stood up and smiled at the other two in the car. "Have fun you guys. And if you catch anything you can eat, bring it back and I'll clean it and cook it."

"See ya later girls." Charlie waved to them as Halley joined Connie on the sidewalk.

"You should sleep with Billy. He's a really great guy." Halley said the moment the car went around the corner. Connie stared at her. "What?"

"Isn't he going to leave me after I do? Guys are only after one thing." Connie readjusted her glasses. Halley smiled and wrapped an arm around the other girl's shoulders.

"I can guarantee Billy won't - Ooh! A picnic!" Halley changed the subject the moment she saw the flyer. "Are you going with Billy?"

"He asked me, but I don't think I'll go. Are you going with Ace?" The two girls kept walking instead of going to the diner.

"He hasn't asked, and we're not like that. He's just a friend." Connie was staring at Halley in disbelief. "Besides, if we do anything, it'll probably just be at his house."

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><p>(Later that day)Halley sighed as she sat on her front porch with Nova and Scott. No wonder Billy hadn't gotten laid yet. Connie was weird. Ace had been gone all day and she was bored. She heard Nova bark and saw Ace's car pull into her driveway. Billy and Charlie were with him and he looked pissed.<p>

"Ace man, you alright?" Halley asked as both Billy and Charlie got in the back so she could ride shotgun. He chewed on his toothpick angrily and Halley dropped it.

"Remember those kids yesterday?" Halley nodded. "Well when we went to get the body of that Ray Brower kid, they were there and the Lachance kid pulled a gun on me."

"The body of that Ray Brower kid? You lied to me again! You said you were going fishing." despite Ace's bad mood, Halley hit him. "Then you got what was coming to you, you wet end."

"Enough with the hitting, okay?" Ace glared and Billy leaned forward to get the scoop on what Connie said.

"She said she'll sleep with you if you get her alone at the town picnic tomorrow. Like, take her home - Ooh!" Halley squealed and turned up the car radio. It was the song _Little Bitty Pretty One_. She couldn't help but hum along with the intro.

"What? I don't want to go to that stupid picnic. I only asked her because I knew she'd say no." Billy whined. Halley just smirked at him.

"So wait, do you want to go Halley?" Charlie leaned forward as well. Halley slouched in her seat and shrugged her shoulders.

"It sounds like fun, but I doubt I'll make an appearance….." She glanced quickly over at Ace before adding "Maybe if Eyeball goes, I'll go."

"Wait, why Eyeball?" Ace glanced over at Halley.

"Because he hasn't _lied_ to me yet." Halley saw Vince's car when Ace pulled up to his house.

"Hey Halley. How was your day with Connie Palermo?" Eyeball asked sarcastically. From the annoyed look she had on her face, he could tell it had been terrible.

"For me, today has been a relatively good day. Until, a _certain someone_ decided that lying to me would be a good idea." Eyeball looked between Ace and Halley who were on opposite sides of the porch, avoiding eye contact.

"If you're ready to go home, I'm sure that Vince would be more than willing to take you." Ace flicked his toothpick for a cigarette.

"Uh-oh. Sounds like a lover's quarrel to me." Vince and Eyeball laughed. Halley bit her lip at Eyeball's laugh. It was so funny.

"Not a _'lover's'_ quarrel. For that, you actually have to be lovers." Ace lit his cigarette and opened the front door to let Harley out. The black mutt headed straight for Halley, wagging his tail happily. Halley was staring at Ace in shock, and she didn't notice Eyeball staring as well.


	4. Cats and Runaways

**A/N: The final chapter, really short and whatnot... Sequel in the works. If I get just one review on this story, I'll be happy and I'll post the sequel. I know it was really short, but who likes long stories nowadays?**

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><p>(The next day)<br>"Thanks man, for coming with us today." Halley grinned over at Eyeball as they walked along the street with Nova and Scott. She had a doctor's appointment and wanted someone to go with her.

"It's not a problem Halley, it's good to do something without the gang there, you know? Even if it was sitting in a waiting room." the two laughed and stopped behind the Blue Point Diner. Scott was sniffing at one of the trash cans and something started hissing. "What the hell?"

"Oh my god! It's a cat! Pick it up!" Halley held the dogs away from the trash cans as Eyeball bent down and picked up the hissing ball of fur.

"Little shit keeps biting me." he complained as he stood up with the cat in his arms.

"Yeah, but he's so cute. Hey! I have an idea! Let's keep him." she smiled and closed the gap between them to pet the stray.

"Sure, let's just take him back to your house." they were all smiles as the cat dozed in Eyeball's arms on the way to Halley's house.

"I know I should have asked sooner, but what is your real name? It's Richard, right?" Halley asked as Nova ran ahead with Scott hot on her heels.

"Yeah. You know, as lame as it sounds, you can call me that if you want. Everyone just kind of calls me _'Eyeball.'_" the dogs were sitting on Halley's porch and she blushed.

"That town picnic thing is happening now…" she motioned for Eyeball to follow her inside, which he gladly did. He set the cat down on the floor and it inspected the living room.

"Do you want to go?" he asked following her into the kitchen. There was a note on the table and Halley smiled at it.

"I don't mind staying here. Besides, my father's there. He'll be gone all day… We'll have the house to ourselves…." they were standing so close, Halley could almost feel his heart beating faster.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, dropping his hands to her hips and pressing their bodies together.

"That all depends can yo-" there was a knock at the door, startling them both. "Who is it?"

"It's Ace, open up." Halley shoved Eyeball away and ran to the front door.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" She stood on the porch with him.

"I came here to apologize. My attitude yesterday was bad. I just… I just wanted to be recognized as a hero… You know? Finding a body that three counties are looking for. That's pretty heavy." Halley wrapped her arms around Ace and rubbed his back.

"Why do you need everyone's approval?" she pulled away and looked up at him. He smiled at her and put his hand on top of her head.

"What do you think of me?" Ace asked, catching Halley by surprise as they walked back into the house. Eyeball crept through the kitchen door as he heard his best friend's voice.

"I think you're a pretty radioactive guy, but you have a short temper. What is this about?" they sat down in the living room and Halley glanced toward the kitchen. She had seen Eyeball leave.

"I know it's not much," Ace kept pacing around - _was he doing the right thing? Was he just being crazy?_ - Halley looked up at him as his hands fidgeted "Halley. You're literally the only girl in town that isn't a total nut job. I like being around you. You do something to me that I don't know how to - Oh here."

Ace got frustrated and put a small box in her hands. Halley gasped. In the box was a golden ring with a small stone in the center. She looked up at him, but he was facing away from her. From what she knew of him, this was way out of character for him. She slipped the ring on her finger and grinned at how well it fit. He still had his back to her when she wrapped her arms around his torso and held her left hand out so he could see the ring.

"I think I'm going to get a job at the diner since everyone seems to go there anyway. I think I'll make some money there." Ace turned as Halley spoke. "Before we moved here, I went with my cousin and his girl to Las Vegas where they got married for only $87."

"We can do that. Do you remember everything that money was spent on? If we have enough between the two of us, we can pack and leave by tomorrow morning. What do you say?" Ace was all smiles at that moment.

"Well, I know the dress was $25. I think when we moved, my mother's dress was brought with us… I can wear that… It was another $25 for renting the chapel with all the flowers, candles and everything else…$14 total for the bridal bouquet, two corsages and three boutonnieres… $10 for wedding photos… $8 for a one-night stay at the Hotel Last Frontier and then, finally $5 for the marriage license." Halley explained as she sat back down on the couch.

"So we'd only need $62. Plus there's gas. So yeah, we're looking at about $90. I've got about fifty or so stashed away. Where are you going?" Ace looked up at Halley as she ran into the kitchen and picked up her phone.

"Calling my cousin…. Yes, hello, can you please patch me through to Mr. Arthur Edmonds, please? His sister Halley…. Thank you." Halley grinned at Ace as he sat on her couch, looking nervous. "Artie! How are you cousin?… I'm doing great. Look, I need your help…. No, my father doesn't know…I hadn't planned on telling him until we got back… So, will you?… Oh thank you Artie! You're the best!… I'll see you in a few days. Give Gina my love."

"What was that just now?" Ace asked, walking into the kitchen. Halley kissed his lips and looked up at him.

"My cousin - the one that got married - says he'll take care of everything. All we have to do is show up with the wedding party. This has been the best summer ever!" They stood there in an embrace, both smiling.

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><p><strong>That part about the cost of a wedding, I read in a book about the 50's that at the Last Frontier, that was how much a couple's wedding cost. Cool right? If you read the whole thing, thanks for reading it, I hope you loved reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it...<strong>


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